Garment-closure.



Patented man u, |902.

C. B. HUWD. GARMENT CLSURE.

(Application led Dec. 80, 1901.)

(No Model.) A 2g.

as agg/is.,

1n: Hemus Putas ..mamrmo.. WASHINGTON. ny a UNITED STATES.

,PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BURTON IIOWD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SAHLIN CORSET COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION-OF ILLINOIS.

GARMENT-CLOSURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,395,1dated Marchl 1, 1902.

Application filed December SO, y1901. Serial No. 87,711. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES BURTON HOWD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Closi the back junction of a corset-body, which is ures, of which the followingis a full and complete specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved formation of apertures for lacing or hook eyelets or buttonholes in garments, and particularly-in the formation' of such apertures andthe adjacent structure of the edges which are laced together in corsets, waists, and other like undergarments.

Heretofore the apertures forflacing in garments have been usually reinforced by one of three methods: (a) metal'eyelets, (bibuttonhole-stitching, (c) binding-tape. The first method is objectionable both on account of the appearance and insecurity, and especially on account of the danger of rusting the goods.

The other two methods are objectionable on account of the expensiveness, and the third also on account of clumsy appearance. 'My

improvement dispenses with allof these'meth-V ods and provides an aperture of ornamental appearance which is bounded by folded edges of the fabric and-in the specific structure in which itis used in corsets is fortified on the side on which the strain it is exposed to and wear of lacing by the metal stay'which forms-A the: edge.

My presentinvention further consists, speciiically, of a structure at the lacediedges of thelcorset or like garment by Which the lacing is protected and the gap spanned'by lacing is' lthe body ofthe garment is made.

strip of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is asiinilaridetail showing a slight modicationwhich maybe made in the use of said strip.`

I will describe my invention as applied to customarily laced together along' the spine;

but it should be understoodlthat While certain details of 4structure are especially dethe fabric being shownl double, as is cus tornarily the case, the inner ply of the fabric being extended beyond the laced edge and folded at d back upon itself to forma ily A under the lacing. For the purpose of producing the apertures for lacing'l use in the lform of my invention shown in Fig. l a stripv B of fabric, usually the same as that of which This strip preferably has both lateral edges folded under, the fold being creased down, `and ythe strip is then folded, as seen most clearly in Fig. 4, forming right-angular points B2, proa jecting both ways from the middle liner of the resultant zigzag strip, each point being made by folding the strip upon itself at an angle of forty-five degrees, two such folds constituting a pair making aright angle with eachother at one lateral edge, the Vnext two folds similarly making a right angle with each other at the other lateral edge, the adjacent folds of consecutive pairs being parallel, and the distance between such parallel'folds being as much greater than the widthof the strip as the length of the lacing-aperture which is to be produced in the mode of use of the strip Whichis seen in the upper part of Fig. 2. In all the' forms illustrated the zigzag stripwhich results from such' folding is bound at one edge in the binding C,which makes thefsh'eath for the stay or bone D, the points at the side of the zigzag thus bound being entirely inclosed with the said stay in such bindingsheath. If the stay ory bone is less inwidth than the strip used in makingthezigzag and if,therefore,the points of the zigzag are higher Fig. 4 is a'detail plan of theeyelet-forming l IOO than can be completelyinclosedin such binding without doubling them, they may be clipped-that is, the angle may be cut olfas seen at b2, Fig. 5. The other side of the zigzag strip is secured on the outer face of the body A, being preferably covered and having its points completely inclosed by a felling-strip E, which is simply a strip of the fabric having both lateral edges folded under and stitched down at the folded edges and, if desired forappearance, having a third line of stitching at the middle of the width. The zigzag strip is thus mounted on the body and covered, as described, at a sufficient distance back from the folded edge a, leaving a proper width of iiy A projecting under the lacing edge, which is the stay-strip D, and beyond such edge such distance as may be deemed necessary to meet a corresponding fly from the opposite edge and form a backing for the lacing, which spans the aperture from side to side. It will be observed that this structure leaves between each two ad jacent edges of the strip which is folded to make the zigzag a rift b', whose length is the excess of the distance measured on the edge of the strip between the parallel folds b3 b3 (see Fig. 4) over the width of the strip. These rifts con stitute the apertures for the lacing, and it will be noticed that their lateral edges are formed by folds of the fabric and that their ends, although un til they are spread by use they have no sensible width, are also formed by folded edges, and however much they may stretch in use they will still be guarded on all four sides by folds of the fabric. A preferred form of eyelet may be produced by the use of strips folded in precisely a similar manner, but havingthe bound stay, which forms the guard at the side on which the lacing draws, applied so that the binding of said stay takes in the points B2, not for their Whole depth, but to a distance which leaves a small triangular aperture ZJ, as seen in Fig. l and at the lower part of Fig. 2, one side of said triangle being parallel with the stay and, in fact, being formed by the binding which incloses the stay. This form of eyelet is somewhat more attractive in appearance, and it has the special advantage that the lacing draws, not into an angle or crevice, which is liable to cause it to be drawn into a string, but over an edge corresponding to the width of such lacing, so that it is easily kept Hat and is less liable to be chafed in use.

A somewhat similar formation of a strip to serve the purpose of a zigzag strip above described is shown in Fig. 3. In this form a narrow strip of the fabric having both edges folded under at the same side and preferably meeting, so as to make the strip practically double, and havingfolded edges at both sides is folded into a zigzag, as clearly seen at the lower part of Fig. 3, all the folds by which the zigzag is produced being made in the same direction and at an oblique angle-that is, not directly across the strip-thus leaving at both sides indentations or recesses This zigzag is then bound in at one side to the binding inclosing the stay-strip, said binding taking in something less than the full depth of the acute notch', leaving exposed a small triangular portion at the apex of the notch, the oblique folds at the other side of the zag strip being covered under the fellingstrip E in the same manner as above described.

I do not limit myself to using the fabric of which the garment is made or any fabric requiring to be cut in strips and folded, but, on the contrary, tape may be used to form the zigzag strips in whichever of the forms shown they are to be made or applied. For some purposes it may not be considered necessary even to provide the strip with folded edges,

and in the form shown in Fig. l it will berno# ticed that the sides of the triangular aper` tures will be folds of the strip, even though formed by the folds made at forty-five degrees across the strip in producing the zigzag.

The fly A may have inserted in it at the option of the wearer astiffening or a padding strip, which may be withdrawn when not desired. Such strip is shown in Fig. 2 protruding at the lower end, (denoted by the letter F.) This may be taken as representing either stilfening or padding. If an additional stay or bone is desired, it may be inserted in the same manner in the folded edge of the fly.

I claim- 1. A closure for garments, comprising ailat strip of tape or fabric folded obliquely on itself to cause each lateral edge to cross only the opposite lateral edge without crossing itself, and a band secured across the oblique folds at one side of such folded strip, the other side being secured to the main part of the garment.

2. A closure for garments comprising a flat strip of tape or fabric folded obliquely on itself to cause each lateral edge to cross only the opposite lateral edge witho ut crossing itself, a band secured across the oblique folds at one side of such folded strip, and means attached to the opposite side for seeuringsuch obliquely-folded strip to the main part of the garment.

3. Aclosureforgarmentscomprisingastrip of fabric folded obliquely upon itself back and forth across the line of the holes or eyelets to cause each lateral edge to cross only the opposite lateral edge without crossing itself forming a zigzag; a band secured across the projections of the zigzag at one side of the line of the holes; and means for securing the projections at the other side to the garment.

4. A closure for garments formed by astrip of fabric folded obliquely upon itself to cause each lateral edge to cross only the opposite lateral edge without crossing itself, the ob- IOO TIO

i lique folds being in pairs, the two of each pair being at right angles, and consecutive pairs having the adjacent folds parallel; whereby a zigzag tape is formed combined with Aa band secured across vthe lateral-projections of the zigzag at one side; and means for securing those at-the other side to the garment.

5. A closure for garments formed by a strip of fabric folded obliquely on itself to cause each lateral edge to cross only the opposite lateral edge without crossing itself; a binding spanning the angular notches which resultfrom such folding and infoldingtheouter portion of the edges thereof; whereby-triangular openings are left at the apex of the notches; and means for securin g the opposite obliqnefolds to the garment.

6. Aclosure for garments formed by a strip Y of fabric folded obliqnely on itself to cause each lateral edge to cross only the opposite edgewithout crossing itself producing a zigzag; a binding infolding the projections of the zigzag at one side; a stay or bone also infolded in such binding, the projections of the opposite side of thezigzag being secured to the garment. v

7. A garment havingalacing edge comprising an eyelet-y formed by a strip of fabricfolded obliquelyupon itself to cause each lateral edge to cross only the opposite edge without crossing itself forming a zigzag; a binding infolding the zigzag projections at one side, the other side being secured upon the n beyond the bound edge of the eye1et-lynnder the lacing.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand, in the presence of two witnesses,at

. Chicago, Illinois, this 28th day December, A.

CHARLES BURTON HOWD.

In presence of- HERBERT J. ADAMS, HAROLD WARNER. 

